It is often necessary to have a way to direct people into, out of, or from place to place within a structure. Such guide systems include emergency signals for rapidly directing the occupants of the structure to an exit in the event of an emergency, as well as day-to-day guidance systems for efficiently directing pedestrian traffic within the structure. Structures in which such systems may be used include stationary structures having heavy pedestrian traffic, such as hospitals and modern office or hotel buildings, as well as transportation structures such as ships, trains, buses, and aircraft. Suitable locations for such guide systems in these types of structures include both the floor and the wall of the structure.
In the case of aircraft cabin emergency lighting signals, floors have been recognized, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,499 to Burkman, as a location which may be less obscured by smoke than locations on the walls or ceilings of the structure. Such "floor-proximity" emergency lighting is so desirable that its use has been mandated by the FAA. See D. Massey, "FAA's Floor Lighting Rule Opens Market to Suppliers," Commuter Air, page 46 (June, 1986).
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting system adapted for mounting beneath a floor or wall covering to provide an electrically energized, illuminable, visually discernible indicator thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a floor lighting system for a structure adapted to serve as a guide for the occupants of the structure.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide a lighting system which is suitable for positioning beneath a carpet.